Caved-in Kanana Community Hall roof a headache
Although it is not clear when exactly the roof fell in, Ward 80 councillor Melody Hlatshwayo said the business leaders were to blame after rejecting the R500 000 budget allocated for renovations.
The Kanana Community Hall, whose roof caved in, has become a point of contention between residents and Ward 80 councillor Melody Hlatshwayo. The exact date of the collapse remains unclear, with conflicting accounts from residents and the councillor.
According to Ngwako Raphokaona, the ward committee member for infrastructure, the roof fell in on February 2 2023. However, Hlatshwayo claimed it collapsed in April last year.
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On October 30, Raphokaona said the situation was now affecting the community, as meetings were being held at a nearby house instead of the hall. He expressed frustration over the lack of action.
“We feel like our councillor is not serving us well. It’s been two years since the roof caved in, but to date, nothing has been done by [Hlatshwayo] to have it fixed,” claimed Raphokaona.
He added that the issue had been reported to the councillor multiple times, but no positive feedback had been received.
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Meanwhile, Hlatshwayo told Midrand Reporter on November 1 that she had reported the matter to the city’s Community Development department. She acknowledged the hall’s importance, especially for residents of Kanana Ext 5 and Rabie Ridge.
“Around June this year, I had a meeting with the local SMMEs regarding the roof, and the Community Development department issued a budget of R500 000 to renovate it. But the leaders of the SMMEs said the budget was not going to be enough.
Since then, the city has not come back to me after the initial budget was rejected,” said Hlatshwayo.
She added that hosting meetings had been difficult, especially after her October 4 meeting at Allanridge Secondary School was postponed due to renovations.
Hlatshwayo said she intended to follow up with the Community Development department. The publication also requested that she provide the name of the SMME chairperson involved.
The publication has contacted the city’s communications office for further comment.
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